Hail the Conquering Hero
1944 · Movie · NR · 101 min · ★ 7.1 · 90% critics
A young man returns home after being discharged from military service for a minor condition, but shame keeps him from facing his hometown. A group of well-meaning service members help him by building a heroic story, and the small town’s enthusiastic welcome quickly grows into a public spectacle that tests his conscience.
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Details
- Years
- 1944
- Release date
- 1944-08-09
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Critic score
- 90/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.1/10 (77 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a fast, feel-good wartime comedy that gently pokes at patriotism and small-town politics, like Sullivan's Travels or The Miracle of Morgan's Creek; Not for you if you dislike contrived misunderstandings or noisy, hectic openings.
Pros: warm small-town humor; sharp satire of hero worship; lively, heartfelt moments | Cons: far-fetched setup; can feel repetitive; early scenes too frantic
Themes
- small town
- mother
- hero
- truth
- confession
- world war ii
- mayor
- lie
- marine corps
- satire
- war hero
- u.s. marine
- +11 more
Awards & recognition
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1945 · nominated
Cast & crew
Eddie Bracken
as Woodrow Truesmith
Ella Raines
as Libby
Raymond Walburn
as Mayor Everett J. Noble
William Demarest
as Sgt. Heppelfinger
Franklin Pangborn
as Reception Committee Chairman
Elizabeth Patterson
as Martha - Libby's Aunt
Georgia Caine
as Mrs. Truesmith
Al Bridge
as Political Boss
Freddie Steele
as Bugsy
Bill Edwards
as Forrest Noble
Directed by Preston Sturges